FLUKA simulations for the optimization of the Beam Loss Monitors

The collimation system in the beam cleaning insertion IR7 of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is expected to clean the primary halo and the secondary radiation of a beam with unprecedented energy and intensity. Accidental beam losses can therefore entail severe consequences to the hardware of the machine. Thus, protection mechanisms, e.g. beam abort, must be instantaneously triggered by a set of Beam Loss Monitors (BLM's). The readings in the BLM's couple the losses from various collimators, thus rendering the identification of any faulty unit rather complex. In the present study the detailed geometry of IR7 is upgraded with the insertion of the BLM's, and the Monte Carlo FLUKA transport code is used to estimate the individual contribution of every collimator to the showers detected in each BLM

Technical Description of the implementation of IR7 section at LHC with the FLUKA transport code.

This document contains the technical description of the LHC IR7 FLUKA implementation. It has been written as a handbook to analyze, understand or modify the heat deposition Monte Carlo calculations performed for a wide variety of objects in the IR7 section of the LHC accelerator, in construction at CERN. The work includes references to the prototyping schemes and the implementation of a complex set-up for FLUKA, which deals with lists of objects and properties defined in the Twiss parameters through the use of the LATTICE concept and of a broad collection of user written subroutines

Optimization of the active absorber scheme for the protection of the Dispersion Suppressor

There are two main types of cold elements in IR7: quadrupole and dipole magnets (MQ and MB). According to predictions, these objects are to lose their superconducting properties if the spurious power densities reach about 1 and 5 mW/cm3, respectively. In order to protect these fragile components, 5 active absorbers (TCLA) were designed and a systematic study was launched to maximize the shielding efficiency of the absorber system for different configurations (locations and orientations). The TCLA's are identical to the secondary collimators (TCS), the only difference is found in the material of the jaw, which, initially, was set integrally to Cu (instead of C) and later included a small W insertion. This report summarizes the survey of cold element protection through TCLA insertion optimization

LHC collimation efficiency during commissioning

The design of the LHC collimation system requires understanding and maximizing the ultimate performance with all collimators. However, for the commissioning of the LHC it is important to analyze the collimation efficiency with certain subsets of collimators, with increased collimator gaps and relaxed set-up tolerances. Special studies on halo tracking and energy deposition have been performed in order to address this question. The expected cleaning performance and intensity limits are discussed for various collimation scenarios which might be used during commissioning of the LHC

Studies of release properties of ISOLDE targets

Off-line release rates of Be, Mg, S, Mn and Kr from refractory materials were studied. Mn yields were determined from a ZrO2 target and Kr yields from a SrO and ZrO2 targets. A Monte Carlo code to optimize ISOLDE targets was introduced

Oxide Fiber Targets at ISOLDE

Many elements are rapidly released from oxide matrices. Some oxide powder targets show a fast sintering, thus losing their favorable release characteristics. Loosely packed oxyde fiber targets are less critical since they may maintain their open structure even when starting to fuse together at some contact points. The experience with various oxyde fiber targets (titania, zirconia, ceria and thoria) used in the last years at ISOLDE is reviewed. For short-lived isotopes of Cu, Ga and Xe the zirconia and ceria targets respectively provided significantly higher yields than any other target (metal foils, oxide powders, etc.) tested before. Titania fibers, which were not commercially available, were produced in a relic process by impregnation of a rayon felt in a titanium chloride solution and subsequent calcination by heating the dried felt in air. Thoria fibers were obtained either by the same process or by burning commercial gas lantern mantle cloth. In the future a beryllia fiber target could be used to produce very intense ^6He beams (order of 10^13 ions per s) via the ^9Be(n, alpha) reaction using spallation neutrons

Low exposure long-baseline neutrino oscillation sensitivity of the DUNE experiment

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) will produce world-leading neutrino oscillation measurements over the lifetime of the experiment. In this work, we explore DUNE's sensitivity to observe charge-parity violation (CPV) in the neutrino sector, and to resolve the mass ordering, for exposures of up to 100 kiloton-megawatt-years (kt-MW-yr). The analysis includes detailed uncertainties on the flux prediction, the neutrino interaction model, and detector effects. We demonstrate that DUNE will be able to unambiguously resolve the neutrino mass ordering at a 3$\sigma$ (5$\sigma$) level, with a 66 (100) kt-MW-yr far detector exposure, and has the ability to make strong statements at significantly shorter exposures depending on the true value of other oscillation parameters. We also show that DUNE has the potential to make a robust measurement of CPV at a 3$\sigma$ level with a 100 kt-MW-yr exposure for the maximally CP-violating values \delta_{\rm CP}} = \pm\pi/2. Additionally, the dependence of DUNE's sensitivity on the exposure taken in neutrino-enhanced and antineutrino-enhanced running is discussed. An equal fraction of exposure taken in each beam mode is found to be close to optimal when considered over the entire space of interest

Long-baseline neutrino oscillation physics potential of the DUNE experiment

The sensitivity of the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) to neutrino oscillation is determined, based on a full simulation, reconstruction, and event selection of the far detector and a full simulation and parameterized analysis of the near detector. Detailed uncertainties due to the flux prediction, neutrino interaction model, and detector effects are included. DUNE will resolve the neutrino mass ordering to a precision of 5σ, for all ΑCP values, after 2 years of running with the nominal detector design and beam configuration. It has the potential to observe charge-parity violation in the neutrino sector to a precision of 3σ (5σ) after an exposure of 5 (10) years, for 50% of all ΑCP values. It will also make precise measurements of other parameters governing long-baseline neutrino oscillation, and after an exposure of 15 years will achieve a similar sensitivity to sin22θ13 to current reactor experiments

First results on ProtoDUNE-SP liquid argon time projection chamber performance from a beam test at the CERN Neutrino Platform

The ProtoDUNE-SP detector is a single-phase liquid argon time projection chamber with an active volume of 7.2× 6.1× 7.0 m3. It is installed at the CERN Neutrino Platform in a specially-constructed beam that delivers charged pions, kaons, protons, muons and electrons with momenta in the range 0.3 GeV/c to 7 GeV/c. Beam line instrumentation provides accurate momentum measurements and particle identification. The ProtoDUNE-SP detector is a prototype for the first far detector module of the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, and it incorporates full-size components as designed for that module. This paper describes the beam line, the time projection chamber, the photon detectors, the cosmic-ray tagger, the signal processing and particle reconstruction. It presents the first results on ProtoDUNE-SP\u27s performance, including noise and gain measurements, dE/dx calibration for muons, protons, pions and electrons, drift electron lifetime measurements, and photon detector noise, signal sensitivity and time resolution measurements. The measured values meet or exceed the specifications for the DUNE far detector, in several cases by large margins. ProtoDUNE-SP\u27s successful operation starting in 2018 and its production of large samples of high-quality data demonstrate the effectiveness of the single-phase far detector design

A Gaseous Argon-Based Near Detector to Enhance the Physics Capabilities of DUNE

This document presents the concept and physics case for a magnetized gaseous argon-based detector system (ND-GAr) for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) Near Detector. This detector system is required in order for DUNE to reach its full physics potential in the measurement of CP violation and in delivering precision measurements of oscillation parameters. In addition to its critical role in the long-baseline oscillation program, ND-GAr will extend the overall physics program of DUNE. The LBNF high-intensity proton beam will provide a large flux of neutrinos that is sampled by ND-GAr, enabling DUNE to discover new particles and search for new interactions and symmetries beyond those predicted in the Standard Model